Crimson Tears
Chapter Two: A Dark Stranger
"Oh Daddy! It's beautiful!" The little red head cried after opening her eyes to see the necklace about her neck.
"It used to be your mother's…Before she…" Jacen trailed off looking at it sweet little carrot top. She was looking more like his wife, Sarah, everyday.
Misty leapt into her father's arms and hugged him tight,
"I love it! It's the best present any six year old could hope for. I bet Tab and Alison will be jealous!" Misty grinned at the thought of her friend's faces.
"It's not just a necklace, Misty." Jacen smiled looking at the shimmering locket, "Open it."
Misty fought hard to contain her excitement as she tried desperately to pry the locket open. The little golden door was imprinted with the word 'forever'. Misty fingered the word before opening it.
"F-f-rover?" Misty tried to say.
"Forever." Jacen smiled at his daughter's attempts to read.
"Yeah.. I knew that." Misty snapped trying to open the locket again. Finally with one last tug the locket popped opened. Some beautiful music filled the air…
"It's mommy's lullaby!" Misty cried, "She sang it to us when we went to sleep…"
Misty sang along to the wordless little tune.
"Dad, will we ever be together again?" Misty asked.
Jacen looked at his youngest daughter sadly,
"Yes. One day… we will all be together again… One day…"
Misty looked at the picture somberly not really hearing her father. Misty blinked back her tears, "Forever's a long time… But I'll try to wait…"
Misty shot through the forest as fast as her bike could take her. She couldn't be home today. It was too hard. Her sister's didn't care. They didn't lose anyone three years ago today.
Today should have been a beautiful fall day but Lavender Town was always surrounded in a heavy fog. Misty liked it like this. Then she didn't feel like she was all alone when she cried.
Misty plowed through the fog strait toward the gleaming radio tower in the distance. She had always thought that was dishonorable to the pokemon. That was their tower that represented the dead. Ashes of Pokemon were storied in that tower. How dare they make it into a radio tower! If Ash was still here he would of made a protest. Misty was sure of it…
Misty was past being a scrawny carrot top now. She had a gorgeous figure and her hair had turned a deep crimson red. She looked more like her mother now. Or so Daisy told her. She was the only one who really remembered her. Misty's father passed away one night in a car accident when Misty was seven. While her mother had died of phenomena when Misty was only four. She had grown up with her older sisters most of her life. Daisy had always taken care of them. But Lily had to be the one most like Mother with her kind heart and caring ways and her father's looks. Misty got her mother looks and her father's temper…
She wished she could move on but it seemed that her life had repeated deaths in it. If another of her friends or family died… Misty was sure she would lose it.
Misty had allowed her hair to grow out so that it was a bit longer the shoulder length. She had it in a long braid today. It swayed behind her like a kite as she sailed down the path. She knew this route by heart. Not only had she been here for a bit when she was a child and when she was traveling with Ash but she had made many stops here when… When Ash…
She had to get away more often these days. Her sisters had made a habit of trying to get her together with several boys. She hated it. Why couldn't they understand she didn't want anyone but…
It was hard to get over her little crush on the boy. Misty was so close. They had just started spending more time together. It was strange the way Ash seemed to have all the time in the world. Hadn't the elders given him a mission yet… Or did they see his death in the future…
She had tried to tell them that she was not going to love anyone but Ash. She couldn't count how many times they laughed and mocked her.
"It was like a simple crush, Misty. You'll get over it."
"Ash was sweet but like you'll learn like what real love is…"
"Maybe you should move on, Misty?"
She wished she could. But no one else had the connection Ash had on her. It wasn't a simple crush. It was meant to be… If only she had let Ash know that before he had his party…
What did they know? They were just worried for her. Violet was engaged to a boy named Paten. Daisy and her boyfriend, Steve, were thinking about getting serious. And Lily was getting love notes and flowers from a boy she would not tell. They were all going to leave. Although Misty was seventeen, they were worried that she might not be ready to handle the gym completely by herself. They were going to leave her. They were worried that she would turn into a single old lady sitting on the back porch of her retired estate watching and waiting for her love who would never come. They wanted her to be happy again. They even offered Brock one time which made Misty gag. Who could ever marry him?
Misty parked her bike by the fencing that outlined one of Lavender Town's many graveyards. She folded the bike up into it's portable form and tucked it into her pink nap sack with her pokeballs. She had many pokemon now. She was the leader at Cerulean now. She had a Goldeen, Togetic, Poliwrath, Staru, Starmie, and a Seadra. She was a pretty tough leader. What was her sisters so worried about? That she would get their luck. No. She worked to long with Ash. She knew how to handle her pokemon.
Misty climbed over the rickety gate that could never open properly and made her way into the somber area. She made her way past the many markers and head stones, thinking to herself.
How many times had she come here? More then even Mrs. Ketchum herself, she was sure. Misty wondered why that was so? She paused by a gravestone that was covered in withered flowers and turned left down the trail. She hiked slowly up the hill were the gravestones and markers grew fewer. She listened to the sigh of the wind and the crunching of gravel under her feet.
Would he be waiting for her?
At the tipsy top of the hill were two graves. One in which was a Mr. Jeffery Ketchum and was a gravestone while the other was merely a marker. This spot of the graveyard was in a thick grove of trees. It was placed specially in honor of the Ketchum Family. Misty walked over to the Marker and sat down beside it. It was surrounded in flowers and letters from friends and family. And hundreds other from admirers. Mr. Jeffery Ketchum grave was almost as crowded.
She ran her fingers over the cold words engraved on the stone…
Ashton Satoshi Ketchum
2509-2522
A True Master In Heart and Soul. May you Rest In Peace.
Misty let a sigh. How she wished he was still here.
"I'm sorry, Ash. I should have been there for you. But I forgot you're birthday present. I couldn't find it. My sisters were no help. When we got to Pallet it was too late…"
Misty closed her eyes.
"Ash…" Misty said coldly, "Why did you leave?! You were having a perfect life! Everything was good! I- I- I was gonna…tell you…"
Misty trailed off.
One more day… Just one more day, Lord. I'd do anything to have one more day with Ash Ketchum…
"But were you really gone, Ash?" Misty whispered, "You could still be out there biding your time…"
A snapping sound turned Misty's head. It came from the dark words behind her. It sounded like a twig breaking.
"Who's there?!" Misty shouted trying to keep a cool head, "Show yourself!"
Nothing answered her. But Misty could tell what ever it was, was still there. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, Misty groped behind her for a stick or a stone of some sort. She found something long…
"I'm warning you…" Misty growled, "I'm armed."
Misty thrust the object in front of to find it to be a bouquet of flowers. She sweat dropped the mother of all sweat drops ,
"It's the thought that counts." Misty muttered under her breath.
Some muffled snickers came from the bushes a little ways in front of her. They creased as she approached them.
"Come out. I know you are there… Whoever you are…" Misty snapped cautiously edging towards the bushes; her bouquet raised. The bushes rustled and Misty held her breath…
"Pika?" A small yellow mouse squeaked after exiting the brush. It tilted it head slightly sideways and stared at her with it's beady black eyes. Misty let out a sigh of pure relief. It was only a Pikachu. They were quite common in this area now. Nothing big…
She threw the bouquet over her shoulder and turned to go. She watched out of the corner of her eye the pikachu scamper back into the bushes.
Now why would it do that?
This surprised Misty and got her thinking…It was awfully strange for a wild pikachu to waltz right up to a human. Wild Pikachu's were awfully shy and always in a gathered group. That Pikachu was either very strange or very tame.
Misty slipped into the shadows watching the bush. She waited in batted breath not really knowing what she was waiting for. But sure enough, out of the shadows came a figure draped in a black cloak with a Pikachu at it's side. The figure paused at the grave markers. It reached out a hand a stroked Mr. Jeffery Ketchum name before rushing down the hill. Whoever this was, was in a great deal of a hurry. It didn't discover Misty's hideaway. Misty watched him and as soon as she was surely out of his ear shot and eye shot, Misty brought out her blue bike and unfolded it. She watched it get into it's silver mustang at the bottom of the hill with it's pikachu. It dropped it's hood. From this distance, she could only make out black hair…and that it was a boy.
The man gunned up his engine and drove away just as Misty came speeding down hill on her bike. She made a quick turn onto the road and spun left strait after them. She made sure to keep in the shadows and far enough away for not to be seen.
"I'm gonna find out who you are, Mister. And why you were spying on me." Misty hissed.
To Be Continued…
Please r + r!
